Bridgeport residents to take a hit

Published 4:02 pm, Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The taxpayers of this city continue to bear the financial burden and total fiscal irresponsibility of City Hall on their back, while Bridgeport dollars make their way to the highway towards neighboring towns and cities. A large number of city workers don't live here, and why should they? Bridgeport has been labeled as the fourth dirtiest city in America, according to Forbes magazine. At the same time H&R Block cites Bridgeport as the No. 1 most taxed city in America. According to this article, 25 percent of a household income of $50,000 goes towards property taxes; Bridgeport's median income is $27,546. Its educational system rates as underperforming and is failing its students. To top it all off, we have a political system designed to protect the selected few for personal gain and greed, which seems to be out of touch with the everyday struggles of the citizens it is supposed to represent.

Currently, Bridgeport is faced with a 2013-2014 budget shortfall and Mayor Finch is asking its taxpayers to cough up some more money. Mayor Finch has proposed a $519.9 million consisting of a 2.5 mill increase, or $400 per average homeowner. In the 2012-13 budgets the mayor also asked the City Council to approve a 2.7 mill increase or $424 increase per homeowner, for a $517.8 million budget. Both in 2012 and 2013, the mayor asked the City Council to approve $110 million in short term notes. In 2012, the top 50 city wage earners raked in over $2.1 million over their base salaries, and in some instances employees doubled their salaries. Others, like his chief of staff, received an additional $35,000 and his chief administrative officer received $22,000 over base pay. Again, in 2013 more millions were paid out to the 50 top city earners. This same mayor who continues to ask Bridgeport residents to dish out more tax dollars also asked the City Council in December 2011 to change the city ordinance to give him the authority to grant salary increases up to 15 percent outside the range which the ordinance allowed for his appointees.

Following his re-election in 2011, Mayor Finch added more than $462,000 in new staff and salary pay increases and promotions. In some instances, raises ranged from $12,000 to $30,000 per unaffiliated staff. It is insulting for the mayor to ask the taxpayers year after year to pay out more while many are struggling financially, losing their homes and worrying about their job security. Mayor Finch has averaged a 2 percent to 3 percent raise each year for himself and his appointed employees. By the end of Mayor Finch's second term, he will have received almost $25,000 in salary increase not including usage of city vehicle, gas and other expenses.

I implore the residents of the city of Bridgeport to please not to have short-term memory loss. Hold these elected officials accountable for their lack of financial responsibility and their unwillingness to simply do what they were elected to do -- to represent each and every resident in their district with their best interests in mind. Under the current financial situation, every resident is doing "more with less," while the administration continues to practice their "less is more" mantra.

I have to wonder when the citizens of Bridgeport are going to wake up to the fact that there is a real potential for a 6 percent tax increase this coming year.

Monday's public meeting with the Budget and Appropriation Committee was poorly attended. Most of the attendees were from Black Rock. Where were the people from other parts of the city?

There is so much going on politically in this city that you need a computer to keep track.

I have attended almost every budget hearing for the past two years. I am just going to touch on one area, the Police Department.

The department is out of control and poorly managed. Most people in this city are not aware that there are only 21 patrol officers patrolling per shift. These hard-working men and women are being asked to do an impossible job.

The Police Department does not respond to quality of life issues such as vandalism, stolen cars, suspicious people in the neighborhoods and the list goes on and on.

So far the Police Department is $3.5 million over budget in their overtime account. How did they handle this? They hired a fifth deputy chief at $100,000-plus to monitor the OT. Just what do the other four deputies do?

Let's look at the numbers: We have 105 cops on five shifts patrolling the city, we have 105 supervisors including the chief. We have 41 detectives for a total of 251 officers. There are approximately 430 total police officers. Where are the other 180 officers?

We the people of Bridgeport deserve and we do pay for better protection than we are getting. How many reading this have called the police and either were told no one is coming and to get a report at the police department? How many were told someone is coming and no one came or they came hours later?

This year's budget is crammed with inconsistent information and we will be getting a 6 percent tax increase. One more amazing fact in the 20012-2013 budget: 24 departments overspent their budgets. Who is watching the store?